Dagupan Police cite 2017 Bangus Festival volunteers

THE Dagupan Police hosted a thanksgiving party and boodle fight last May 8 in front of its station to honor hundreds of its force multipliers or volunteers who helped secure the Bangus Festival from April 16 to May 6.

The activity was led by P/Supt. Franklin Ortiz, officer-in-charge at the Dagupan Police Station, who expressed the station’s gratitude to the force multipliers for their help in maintaining peace and order during the festival.

Mayor Belen Fernandez, who was the guest of honor at the party, hailed the local police and its force multipliers from both the government and private sectors for their roles in making the Bangus Festival successful.

“I thank all volunteer force multipliers who helped us keep all our events safe and peaceful,” Fernandez said, who noted that there was not a single untoward incident reported in any of the events.

The force multipliers were from communications groups, civic organizations, Barangay peace-keeping Action Team (BPAT) and reservists.

She particularly cited the crowd-drawing “Gilon-Gilon ed Baley” street dancing competition, the “Festivals of the North” and the Bangusan Street Party dubbed as the biggest street party in the Philippines, on De Venecia Expressway on April 30 that drew the presence of more than 800,000 people.

The mayor also thanked the support of Police Provincial Director P/Sr. Superintendent Ronald Oliver Lee for bringing in some 200 augmentation force to secure the Bangusan Street Party, whose attendance exceeded last year’s record of more than 700,000 people.

Fernandez cited Ortiz’s well-coordinated security plan for the duration of the Bangus Festival.

In turn, Ruiz presented an award to Mayor Fernandez for the unstinting support she extended to the Dagupan Police since she became mayor.

Ortiz said the city government donated five vehicles, including motorcycles and funding for the DCPS’s feeding program and for the training of volunteers under the Masa Masid program. (Leonardo Micua)